Camera strap for measuring distances



March 11, 1930. i= R. STRAUS CAMERA STRAP FOR MEASURING DISTANCES Filed June 1928 gwuvnto'a 1 1 111917 ,R. 5 Falls abtozwead.

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE PHILIP RAYNER STRAUS, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND CAMERA STRAP FOR MEASURING DISTANCES Application filed June 12, 1928. Serial No. 284,804.

This invention relates to improved means distances from lens to subject for various for measuring the distance between the subfocal settings of the camera. ject to be photographed and the lens of the Numeral 1 designates a camera of the orcamera. dinary type, such as an autographic kodak,

' 5 v A prime object of this invention is to arand provided with a portrait attachment, '55

range the strap of a camera case in the form diffusion or otherwise, as may be desired.

of a measuring device for distances in such In practice it has been found that some a manner that the designating marks on the subjects may be photographed readily when strap will not only act as a means for measholding the camera in the hand, but under uring the distance between the subject to be certain conditions it is highly advisable to -00 photographed and the camera lens, but will use a tripod or some suitable support on also function as a source of suitable instrucwhich the camera may rest in a fixed positions as to the proper focus at which the tion, owing to the fact that the subject must camera should be set. be placed at a certain distance from the lens Another object of this invention is to mark in order to obtain the most satisfactory re- 5 the strap of an ordinary camera carrying case salts, and this invention provides a measuring in such a manner that it-may become a measurdevice consisting of the camera strap 2, made ing device for accurately designating the dis of any suitable material such as leather, and tance between the subject to be photographed adapted to have suitably positioned thereon and the lens of the camera for the purpose of the focus instructions 3, for the correspond '79 correct focusing. in distances t. The markings may be em- A further object of this invention is to bodied upon the strap preferably on the inner provide a convenient measuring device orface thereof in any suitable manner, such as dinarily attached to the camera and its carstamping on the leather itself, the use of rying case, and which may be readily utilized clips, printing on the lining of the strap,

with the camera in cases where portrait or or printed labels pasted thereon. short distance attachment lens are employed, The camera strap utilized in this inven and where for set focus of the camera, the tion may be of a general type commonly dedistance from the subject is comparatively tachably fastened at the two ends 5 and 6,

30 short and must be accurately gauged or measto a camera case 7, which may also be made ured. of leather or other desirable material, the Ob ects of this invention Wlll. appear from strap 2 being detachably fastened to the case the following detailed description of the de- 7, as clearly disclosed at 8. vice, as disclosed in the single sheet of draw- In operation, this invention provides a 35 ing which is herewith made a part of this measuring strap easily available at all times application. and ha 'ing the plural utility of a shoulder In the drawings support or carrying strap for a camera case Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of and a measuring device for accurately gaugthe camera measuring device disclosing the ing the distance from the subject 9 to be pho- 40 means for determining the distance between tographed and the lens 10 of the camera 1, the subject to be photographed and the lens thereby providing a means for accurately of the camera. focusing the camera.

Figure 2 designates a perspective view of Furthermore, the strap, according to this a camera strap disclosing thereon the markinvention, includes proper instructions as to ings required to properly determine the disthe focus at which the camera should be set. tunes from the subject to be photographed T ie device applies especially to the use in and the lens of the camera in relationship to ordinary practice in connection with portrait the focus thereof, and instructions for propor short distance attachment lenses where, erly setting the focus for various distances for a definite focus of the camera, the disv0 of subject from camera, or obtaining proper tance from the subject is comparatively short,

ranging anywhere from two feet to four feet, and owing to the nature of the operation must be very accurately gauged or measured.

A camera strap arranged in this manner provides a simple and convenient measuring evice by merely detaching one end from the camera case, as clearl disclosed in Figure 1, and then measuring t e distance between the subject and the lens of the camera, at the same time noting the roper instructions for the focal length at which the lens must set, all of which information is clearly noted upon the measuring strap, and is a great improvement over the common practice of reading the instructions on a loose slip usually received on the purchase of a camera. This slip-is man times unavailable when needed and is easily lost or misplaced. Furthermore, after reading the instructions upon the slip, it is ordinarily necessary to obtain a yard stick or other measuring device for the purpose of determining the distance from the camera lens to the subject.

Obviously, this invention provides a de vice which will not only measure the distance, but will also furnish the focus instructions now found upon the camera slips.

It will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made in the form or embodiment of the invention within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The measurin tape shown in this application is intende for use only where short distance or ortrait attachment lenses are substituted or the original lenses. With such substituted'lenses the ordinary distance scale of the camera is useless, and it is necessary to find some means for translating the scale graduations into terms suitable for use when the distances are very short; accordingly, tape 2 is provided with graduations 4 which indicate actual distances between the camera and the subject being photographed.

Adjacent each of the distance graduations 4 is a camera focusing legend 3 which indi cates the distance at which the lens of the camera must be set on the usual camera focusing scale to correspond to the distance between the camera and the subject as indicated by the raduations 4-; for example if the distance between the camera provided with the short distance attachment lens is 4' 2" as measured by the tape 2, the distance at which the lens carrier of the camera must be set on the usual lens focusing scale is that corresponding to a distance of a hundred feet. Similarly, if the distance is three feet, the lens carrier of the camera must be set with its indicator at the graduation corre- .sponding on the focusing scale to a distance of ten feet when the camera is used without the lens attachment.

The scale 3 does not, therefore, indicate theactual distance between the camera provided with the short distance attachment and the subject being photographed. The graduations thereof do correspond to the settin required for the various distances indicat by the scale 4 when a short distance attachment lens is being used.

What I claim 1s:

A tape for use with cameras havin a short distance or portrait lens substitute for the usual lens; said tape having graduations thereon to indicate distances of a sub 'ect from a camera and having le ends at eac graduation to indicate the sea e setting of the lens relative to the usual camera focusing scale to correspond to the said graduation.

PHILIP RAYNER STRAUS. 

